APRIL 1, 1943

SEATTLE, Thursday—The Victory Aides in the State of Minnesota are organized to cover every block in the cities and fixed areas in the rural districts. Their first duty is the dissemination of information. They are expected to distribute any literature that comes out. They are the ones who tell their neighbors any information about the various war drives, whether it is the gathering of scrap, paper or fats. They explain the need, how it is going to be satisfied and pave the way for the actual workers in the drives.

They may be asked to do anything at a moment's notice. The work is never glamorous. It has to be done in free time snatched here and there, since these women are all housewives, just neighbors in the block. Nevertheless, the aggregate of the work accomplished is tremendous and the organization is strong when each Victory Aide does her job.

Late yesterday afternoon, after I left Mrs. Thomas Dillon and the City of Minneapolis, I drove with Miss Adelaide Enright over to St. Paul and stopped at the house of one of my husband's cousins, Mrs. Norris Jackson, who has given part of her house for work in British War Relief. They had on exhibition many of the garments they have been making. I must say it was interesting to see the boxes all packed ready to go out, because in my mind's eye, I could see what they would mean to the people of Great Britain when they had made their perilous journey across the ocean.

After a quiet dinner with Miss Enright and her two friends, we went to the auditorium for the meeting honoring the St. Paul Victory Aides. They filled the hall and I was astounded at the number—some four thousand.

Governor Stassen was present and introduced me. In both Minneapolis and St. Paul a group of WAACS were inducted. This was the first time I had seen these girls take their oath and I thought the ceremony very nice. It gave an opportunity for the people of both cities to show their appreciation of the girls from their own city and state, who are entering this particular branch of war service.

I could not help thinking how different it was for a girl in Great Britain to enter a service of this kind. In all probability, unless she went far overseas, she would never be more than a night's journey away from home. Our girls will travel more than that distance to their first training center, and may, even if they are within the United States, be a really long journey from home.